Her lifeless eyes looked toward the sky, in the direction of the cawing bird. She raised her arms, her palms facing the fog. Her mouth opened; she sucked in a deep breath.
Tendrils escaped the fog, racing through the air toward her, passing over her lips, giving moisture to her shriveled body. Her mouth closed. Her lips warped into a smile, one so vile Bastian wanted to throw himself to his death. Still, he hung on.
Her eyes swept over him, but just as quickly as they’d found him, they were trained on the sky again. The bird came into view.
The woman’s mouth opened, her jaw slack. Ice crystals shot out of her mouth and hurtled through the air, stabbing the bird straight through its chest. Wings beat frantically, fighting against the finality of death.
Giving up the struggle, the bird spiraled down into the trees, landing on a mess of branches not far from Bastian.
The woman raised a hand toward the bird. It hurtled through the air, landing in her outstretched palm. She lifted the bird to her mouth and took a bite. Blood gushed, the scent of copper overtaking the rot and moistness in the air. She swallowed the bird with one big gulp.
Her eyes fell on Bastian again. Gliding over the branches as if she had no fear of falling, the woman stood only inches from his feet.
“Leave,” she commanded, blood dripping out the sides of her mouth.
The branches broke at her command, sending Bastian falling to the ground.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bastian opened his eyes to the sound of a piercing screech. He lay in a tangle of branches, not far from the ground. Had they not caught him, his bones could have shattered into a million pieces.
He recognized the sound and held still. It was the same beast in the forest the first time they’d passed through. Few had ever survived one trip. A second was suicide. He knew why he was doing this. For Tressa. Everything was for her.
Bastian hoped he wasn’t too late.
“Bastian.”
He heard it gliding on the wind. Tressa! He’d know her voice anywhere. Bastian slowly lowered himself to the ground. The fog enveloped him, erasing any chance he had of seeing his way through the forest.
Bastian pulled himself back into the tree and up onto the branches. He could see a bit better above the fog. Looking around, Bastian tried to find another tree close by. If he could move from tree to tree without touching ground, he might be able to avoid the beast hiding in the mist. He only wished he’d thought of it before.
“Bastian.”
There it was again. Tressa. His breath came faster, his heartbeat increasing. He shimmied out on the branch and reached for the next one. With a careful foot, he probed the branch. It was strong and stable. Bastian leapt to it, quickly grabbing the upper branches, like outstretched arms of the tree.
He moved like that, just above the fog, trying not to think of another fall. He also wanted to kick himself for not thinking of this the first time he travelled through the mist. Every few minutes he’d hear Tressa’s voice again, calling his name. He wished she’d just stay still. It would be much easier to find her.
Terror bubbled in his gut. It was possible the beast out there was chasing her. He had to find her before it did. As long as he could hear her voice, he knew she was still safe. He would reach down, grab her hand, and pull her up into the trees with him. They’d escape together and lead their people out of the fog. Or stay there, safe, guarded by that strange woman trapped in the tree. He didn’t really care as long as Tressa was okay.
He heard her again, louder, much closer. Nearly below him.
“Bastian?”
Bastian looked at the fog below his feet, tendrils wrapping around the toes of his boots.
“It’s me. Stay where you are. I’ll be right down.” He knew she had to be terrified. She’d been out there too long by herself.
Bastian dropped a foot into the fog, blindly reaching for a lower branch. He took a deep breath, as if he were about to submerge underwater. The fog kissed his face, cold, dead. He shivered, but kept up the descent.
“Are you still down there?”
“Bastian?” Tressa’s voice sounded closer.
Finally, he touched ground.
“Tressa, talk to me so I can find you. You stay still, okay?”
“Bastian.” Her voice trembled.
He turned to the right.
“Bastian!”
He turned to the left.
“Bastian!”
Behind him.
“Tressa, don’t move!”
“Bastian!”
In front of him.
“Tressa, please!”
A deep laugh echoed through the thick fog. Spittle flew through the air, landing smack on Bastian’s cheek.
He wiped it off with his sleeve.
“Tressa?”
Sweat coated his palms. His hands shook. This wasn’t right. Not one bit of it. She would have said more than just his name. She would have stayed still.